Frankie Goes To Hollywood “Relax”

Music Video Details

The first official video for Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “Relax”, was directed by Bernard Rose, which depicted a gay S&M parlour where the band members were admired by muscular leathermen, a bleached blonde drag queen and a large-bodied gentleman dressed as a Roman emperor. The video featured a scene where the band’s lead singer Holly Johnson wrestled a live tiger, to the admiration of the clubgoers, and ended where the “emperor” was so excited he shimmied out of his toga. Filmed in the unused East London theatre Wilton’s Music Hall, the video was promptly banned by both the BBC and MTV, prompting the recording of a second video, directed by Godley and Creme in early 1984, featuring the group performing with the help of laser beams. However, after the second video was made, the song was banned completely by the BBC, meaning that neither video was ever broadcasted on any BBC music programs.